Irony and timelessness of Our Town not lost on our time

By Walter Ault, Correspondent

Thursday, January 10, 2013

For its third production of the current season, the Forge Theatre in Phoenixville is presenting one of the most timeless and beloved dramas of all time: Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” The production will run for three weekends, from Jan. 11 to Jan. 26.

First performed at a theater in Princeton, N.J., in 1938, “Our Town” is a mesmerizing look at life in a fictional small town, Grove’s Corner, N.H., focusing on the interrelationships of two families, from their priorities to how they live their lives.

The play, which spans the years 1901 through 1914, has about 15 cast members, the main roles being the three members of the Webb family, the three members of the Gibbs family and (one of Wilder’s truly ingenious innovations), a stage manager, split into two individuals for the Forge Theatre production, who act as guides for the audience.

The play made its New York City debut on Feb. 4, 1938, at Henry Miller’s Theater. Wilder was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his efforts, with the play being widely considered a masterwork.

Along with the interactive stage manager, another of Wilder’s innovations was a total lack of a set, using just a few props to keep the audience’s attention focused on the actors’ demeanor, interaction and dialogue.

Wilder wasn’t real happy with theater at the time he wrote the play, believing that too much emphasis was placed on elaborate sets and costumes and that many productions were “inadequate and evasive.”

“Wilder was like Shakespeare. He didn’t want the stage cluttered with a lot of sets,” director Deb Braak pointed out. “He wanted to try something unusual in his time, stripping away all things that distract an audience from the story.”

For instance, in one scene, the two young lovers, George and Emily, are discussing schoolwork from the open second floor windows of their adjoining houses. This scene is presented with the two actors standing atop ladders.

“The audience must rely on the actors’ words and descriptions and the stage managers’ guidance” to follow the action and direction of the play, Braak explained. “That way they establish a sense of place and character.”

Adaptations of “Our Town” are widely produced all over the world. In fact, there are so many adaptations that the original has become elusive. However, Braak hunted down a copy of the original 1938 script for the current Forge production.

“Many people know this play from the adaptations they saw,” Braak said. “They don’t know the real play. I thought it was important,” Braak continued, “for our audience to see the original version, because it is so well-written and so well done. People should see it the way Wilder imagined.”

The three-act play is designed to make audience members think about life after seeing the decisions the actors make and how they interact with one another.

“But this play doesn’t totally suck you in,” producer Marnie Herzfeld said, “because the stage managers interrupt the action, interject information and give the audience members time to catch their breath.”

Somewhat surprisingly, the two stage managers’ roles are significant ones. In a way, they are observers and therefore part of the audience. But they also guide the audience’s entrance into the world of Grover’s Corner, and, as Herzfeld pointed out, “explain certain aspects of the show and set up scenes.”

The important point Wilder makes in this compelling production is that people don’t take the time to fully appreciate all that life has to offer.

“Wilder felt strongly that people don’t realize that life goes by too quickly,” Herzfeld said, “and that people are missing out on a lot because they don’t pay attention and don’t take the time to connect with their fellow man or their surroundings.”

The play is both ironic and timeless in today’s world, with people so preoccupied with watching TV, listening to the radio, talking on cellphones and sending text messages rather than simply paying attention to what is going on around them.

Wilder seemed to think this kind of self-indulgence was especially true in his time, with people so self-absorbed that they tragically failed to recognize the signs that were pointing to the inevitability of World War II.

“The first act is simply a collection of little snippets of life in the town,” Braak said. Act II is all about the marriage of young lovers George and Emily, which is an event that has many people involved in one way or another. Act III deals with the tragic death of a major character who has trouble accepting her fate and desperately wants to return to her friends and loved ones.